A summertime scorcher sizzled the city and set a record Saturday, but forecasters are predicting a slight cool-off today and into the coming week.

Thermometers in Attleboro hit 95 degrees at 2:30 p.m. Saturday, beating the previous record high of 94 for the day, set only five years ago, the water department reported.

It marked the fourth day in a row of 90-plus-degree heat, and temperatures were still topping 90 degrees by 6 p.m.

AccuWeather forecasters say today will be partly sunny and not as warm, with a predicted high of 82 during the afternoon, followed by a clear, cooler evening and a low of 60.

Afternoon showers and thunderstorms, with temperatures in the low 80s, are predicted for Monday. It should stay below 90 - barely - at least through Thursday.

Saturday's high temperature was the 10th one to break a record so far in 2007. Before Saturday, the most recent record-breaking high was 94 degrees set on June 2.

This year, the area is averaging more than one record-breaking day every month - although four of those record-breaking days actually came in the first two weeks of January.

Saturday was also the 24th day of 2007 when the temperature topped 90 degrees. The first came on May 2, when thermometers peaked at 92. Thus, more than 10 percent of the year so far has been spent in 90-degree-plus heat.

Although scientists warn that warm weather is not necessarily a sign of climate change, they also say New England has been growing warmer since 1970.

WEATHER FORECAST, PAGE B8